Peters



2 Sheets-Sheet.1. F4 1.

J. W. STANTON.

Patented Jan. 20, 1880.

Gab-inet-Bedstead.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

J. W. STANTON.

. Cabinet-Bedstead. No. 223,770. Patented Jan. 20,1880.

, UNITED STATES.

P TENT ()FFICE.

JOHN w. STANToN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR on A PART OF HIS RIGHT T0 ALFRED .LWOLE, OF SAME PLAoE, AND EEANKLiN NOBLE, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID NOBLE ASSIGNOR T0 SAID woLE.

CABlNET-BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,770, dated January 20, 1880. Application filed September 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. STANTON, of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new. and useful Improvement in Cabinet- Bedsteads, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a class of furniture known as cabinet-bedsteads, and is an improvement on my invention, as shown and described in Letters Patent issued to me, dated March 4, 1879, No. 213,001.

The invention consists of peculiar central and end supports of locking device, and the manner of connecting the main parts together, of controlling their movements, and other improvements, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my cabinetbedstead closed. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the same entirely opened and locked. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same with the locking-flaps up. Fig. 4 shows the pivoting-links in detail.

Fig. 5 shows other parts in detail.

The shell. or case may represent, when closed up, a sideboard, bureau, writing-desk, parlor-organ, or any analogous articleof furniture. 1 illustrate only a sideboard.

The whole device, when closed, rests on a base, A, mounted on casters, as shown.

The top is divided, preferably by an undulating line, into two parts, B B, which become, when. open, respectively the foot and the head board of the bedstead.

Each side has a central panel, which becomes, when the cabinet is open, the standard G. This panel is subdivided near the top, so as to form the hinged flap 0, making the looking device, as hereinafter described.

D D form side rails when the bedstead is open. They are finished on their inner edges, which close against the panel C, with moldings c, which rest on brackets D, which brackets form projecting shoulders.

The moldings c at the top follow the shape of a central arch springing from inverted curves, giving the rails D D, when open, the conventional contour of ordinary bedsteadsides. These rails, when the device is closed, assume the position shown in Fig. 1, shutting against the central panel, Q.

E E are two folding braces, hinged at their upper ends to the side rails, D D, and again at their lower ends to the base A. The brace E, when the cabinet is closed, assumes the position shown in Fig. l, and becomes a component part of the front general design. The

. other brace, E, folds up in a similar manner rearwardly. When the bedstead is completely open these two braces serve as strengtheningsupports, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The front exterior is paneled or finished in any suitable manner in imitation of the piece of furniture intended to be represented. The upper cross-pieoe, Gr, is hinged so as to control at one movement the side brackets, H, which, when unfolded, become front legs, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At the rear is an elevated back piece, I, which may carry a looking-glass, if required. 1

At the inner sides of the side rails, D D, near their ends which abut against the standard (l, are four circular plates, j j j j, each having a central slot surrounded by a projecting rin g, j, which forms a complete shoulder around the central opening. Theseplatesare pierced to carry fastening-screws. They are connected to the wood-work, as shown in section, Fig. 5,

by means of screws 70, and then washers are passed over the projecting rings j. 1

Fig. 4 shows three peculiar-shaped iron pivoting-links, K K K having holes placed in proper position, and of suitable dimensions, so as to fit snugly over the project-ing ring j and other connections. The link K is first placed diagonally from one plate, j, on one side rail, D, to another plate on the other rail, connecting the two rails together and bridging over the standard 0. A large screw, as shown in Fig. 5, confines this closely to the plates 7' j, but so as to permit its readily turning on its bearings.

It will be seen that the link K has an oblique extending arm, so as to admit of its coupling with the link K The link K is next placed in position diagonally across and over K, also connecting the rails D D, and also again bridging the central standard, 0. It is fastened to plates j j in the same manner as K. The curved link K is then connected at one end to the oblique arm of the link K by a pivot-rivet, and its other end is pivoted to the folding hind part L, which, when the cabinet is opened, becomes a back leg, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

The functions of these links K K K are to retain the side rails, D D, in proper position relative to each other and to all other movable parts, to lower and elevate the hind part I, to fold and unfold the back bracket-legs it carries, and, further, to transmit movements to the supporting-braces E E, as it will be readily seen that, while the several parts assume different positions, from a plane to a rectangular, all move in unison in segments of a circle until properly located, so as to form either a closed cabinet or open bedstead, the pivotinglinks drawing and Withdrawing each part with which connections are made. In assuming their proper position the side rails have to turn at their inner upper sides against the standard O,*in order to prevent their impinging, and to keep them steadily guided in their movements they are rounded off, as shown at d d. Thus, by means of the pivoting-links, connected as described, the several parts reciprocally assume their proper positions when the device is opened or closed, and the change from a cabinet to a bedstead, or from a bedstead to a cabinet, is effected by a gentle pressure on a given point of the exterior case.

Operation: The preferable manner of operating the device is to lay hold of the forward half-top, B. It is gently pressed forward and downward with slight exertion of the operator, unfolding the supporting-braces. At'the same time the side rails will drop into horizontal position, lowering the back piece, I, and projecting the hind legs L, and the bedstead is complete. The only hand manipulation necessary is to fold down ward the hinged part 0 between the brackets D, which completely locks the side rails, and to bring forward the cross-piece G, in order to lower the brackets H; but this last movement is not necessary if connecting-links are pivoted to them in the same manner as to thehind legs L, whichmay be done if required. When the side rails, D D, have assumed a horizontal position they rest against the central standard, 0, and are also supported by the braces E E. Still there might beatendency, under too heavy weight, for them to fold up; but this is entirely overcome by the hinged flaps G being folded down into the recesses between the brackets D, into which they exactly fit, thus making a continuous rigid side rail. To fold up the cabinet, of course these pieces must be first withdrawn.

What I claim is 1. In a cabinet or folding bedstead, the corner-braces E E, hinged at one of their ends to the base A and at their other ends to the side rails, D D, in combination with the side rails, D D, and base A, adapted to strengthen and support the rails centrally, substantially as described.

2. In a cabinet or folding bedstead, the pivoted links K K, fastened respectively at each of their ends to an opposite end of the side rails, D D, crossing each other obliquely, and the pivoted link K coupled to link K, and to the hind part L, all in combination with the side rails, D D, and hind part L, adapted to operate and move the several parts with which they are-connected into proper position when the bed is opened or closed, substantially as described.

3. [n a cabinet or folding bedstead, the locking-flaps C, in combination with the projecting brackets D and the folding side rails, D D, substantially as described.

4. A cabinet or folding bedstead having folding side rails, D D, connected by pivoted links K K K in combination with base A, supporting-braces E E, and dropping back I, carrying legs L, all operated by a single movement, substantially as described.

JOHN W. STANTON. 

